


The Good Wife

by LdyKirin



Series: The Ties That Bind [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ableism, Ableist Language, Gen, Pre-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24063985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LdyKirin/pseuds/LdyKirin
Summary: Toph's mother is a good wife.  Her husband can never know the sacrifices she has made for the good of their family.Timeline: Takes place when Toph is young.
Relationships: Lao Beifong/ Poppy Beifong
Series: The Ties That Bind [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736092
Comments: 7
Kudos: 138





	The Good Wife

**Author's Note:**

> For a short ficlet this has some upsetting themes. Please see end notes for full content warnings.

She slipped from their bed, leaving her husband slumbering deeply, and entered their private bathing chamber. She let the water flow into the bath while she opened the chest containing her oils and perfumes. A secret drawer was revealed and she withdrew a small wooden box containing a mixture of herbs the healer had given her. Her husband respected her privacy and she respected his; however one could not be too careful. 

If he knew he would be furious.

The water covered the sounds of her preparing the bitter tea. 

Her husband wanted to try again. He wanted a strong, healthy son to take over the family business. They were one of the most powerful (and richest) families in the Earth Kingdom, possibly the whole world, and Lao believed he could control this, as he controlled everything in his sight. She knew better. She knew that she had failed him, though that was the last thing she had ever wanted to do. But something was wrong with her. She cradled her womb. Her body had betrayed her. 

Their only child, their daughter, was defective.

She knew eventually he would turn to other means to produce the heir he so desperately wanted. She was a good wife, she understood.

She knew that she had shamed her husband; the least she could do was ensure that she would never shame him again.

With a trembling hand, she drank the tea.

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for:  
> Implied/future infidelity  
> Lying to partner about use of birth control  
> Shame  
> Unhealthy relationships  
> Toph's mother is not in a good place mentally. She blames herself for Toph's blindness and considers her daughter defective. 
> 
> Note: I have not read/seen Legend of Korra or any of the comics or side stories.


End file.
